Done
by Cereal-Killa
Summary: Over. It's finally done. She and Duncan might have been over, but somehow, everything seemed so new. Everything seemed like it was just beginning. –I have to say, this is my most awesome story ever.-


Done

Summary: Over. It's finally done. She and Duncan might have been over, but somehow, everything seemed so new. Everything seemed like it was just beginning. –I have to say, this is my most awesome story ever.-

Gwen stared at the old broken camp. She had been stupid to think it would ever change. Things don't change, even after ten years. Men don't change.

She had found the abandoned camp again. She had drove and drove until she found it. She had stared straight ahead, frowning, gripping the steering wheel, clenching her teeth, silent tears dripping down her face. She thought she had learned her lesson a long time ago. She thought she knew everything.

But she was stupid. Of course she knew nothing. She believed and that was dumb. She had always thought she was screwing someone else over, not being screwed herself. But looking back, she knew the truth. The truth was she was wrong.

It was old, older and darker at the camp than it was back then. She remembered how she had cried on the dock. How she had cried over some guy. It hurt her when she realized she had done the same. She had made some girl cry over some guy.

Gwen wrapped her jacket around her tighter. She hadn't been any more special than Courtney. He had lied to Courtney and lied to her. He was so good at playing the game. How had she not realized how great he was at playing people?

It was only karma that she had caught him with someone else, that she had cried just like Courtney had, that he had said the same words to her as he did all those years ago- "Just stop crying, OK? I know your upset, but it's over. I'm sorry, but just… It's done." He wasn't sorry. He lied when he said that.

And he didn't mean that they were done. He meant that HE himself was done with her. How had she not realized that before? How had she fooled herself into thinking maybe things would be different? History is bound to repeat itself.

She sat on the old campground, imagining that maybe Courtney would show up, tell her that she forgave her, and maybe tell her she knew what she felt like. Gwen sat there for hours and it didn't happen. She sat there and shook, tears dripping down her face in fury.

Why couldn't Courtney get over herself? It was seven years ago, it was over. It was over. It was… Gwen was over. All this time, she had always been penning things on Courtney. As Courtney had said, "I thought we were sisters!" They were so much alike. Fell for the same joke. For the same lie.

She drove to her new apartment. She had moved out of their old house last week. She checked the answering machine. No new calls. No messages. She gripped the phone in her hand. She got the phone book and started to dial.

Three rings, then a pick-up. "Hello?" The voice was bright, expectant, sweet, yet fickle. She knew who it was.

"Courtney?" She felt her voice squeak and crack as it did back when… when she was more innocent. When she was sure that she could call herself a good person. She didn't know who she was now.

Gwen heard the sounds of laughter, of a baby crying, of a man saying, 'You want me to do the dishes tonight, honey?' "Yeah. Yeah, this is her. May I ask who's calling?" She heard someone shout 'mommy' in the background.

Gwen chewed her lip. "How… how did you get over Duncan?" She was sure that she would hear the phone hang up, hear the dial tone and realize that she couldn't fix this.

She heard the bustling sounds in the background, but Courtney's breath was even, stiff. "To tell you the truth, I-I don't know." You heard her swallow, and the sound of something breaking. "I was upset for a while. For a long time. But I never think about him anymore. He means nothing. It was fun but… I'm sure I meant as much to him as I now realize he did to me."

Gwen was quiet for a long time. She was crying really hard, but stayed quiet. "It's OK to hurt, Gwen." Courtney's voice came out thick, as though they were words she had been saving for a long time, like she knew this day would come, even ten years ago.

Gwen was still quiet. She heard Courtney sigh. "Take care of yourself. Make sure you… hopefully you'll…" She kept trailing off, and then gasped when something in the background seemed to smash. "Toni! Do not touch that!" There were a lot of noises, and then a simple voice. "Don't do it again." Then she heard a click as the phone hung up.

Don't do it again. Don't cheat with someone again? Don't go back to him? What could she mean?

But Gwen understood. Duncan was like a record, he would only stick with you until he skipped again, until he found something new. Again and again.

Courtney had a family now, had a good life it seemed. What made it impossible for Gwen to do that same?

She couldn't say that she was healed, but a weight felt gone from her shoulders. The tears were still flowing, but she could honestly say that it was over. This lie, this grudge, it was done.

And now that it was over, all she had to do was follow Courtney's advice. _Don't do it again_.

She smiled to herself. She went outside and started to walk. The sun was out, and for some reason, it felt like it just coming out for the first time in years. She saw that cute paper boy from across the street wink at her, a girl with her headphones in jamming with an air-guitar, and she laughed. It was true. It was sincere. It felt free.

She felt free. Gwen thought about what she would do now. Who knew? Maybe she'd finally go get a good job, and but her degree in art to good use. Maybe she would go talk to Courtney- but then again, maybe she wouldn't. The friendship was so old and on bad terms. Then she realized that Courtney had seemed… forgiving. She was done with Duncan. She seemed even be kind to Gwen. What was keeping them from being friends?

Nothing. Nothing at all.

She and Duncan might have been over, but somehow, everything seemed so new. Everything seemed like it was just beginning.


End file.
